Modern Americana has increased its use of recreational vehicles. Many American citizens can be found on the road using a self propelled motor home while towing a smaller vehicle behind their home. Upon arrival at a suitable camp site the towed vehicle is detached from the home and used for local transportation. Most campers will detach the towing coupler and store it under the mobile home where it could be stolen. This problem has been resolved by designing a tow coupler that is permanently attached to the towed vehicle, folding it in place and driving away with the coupler attached. This invention improves an existing folding tow coupler to allow use with the shock absorber device.
Tremendous mechanical abuse is suffered by both vehicles when one vehicle is towing another. Road conditions such as bumps, chuckholes, dips and wallowing pavement are all transmitted between the towed vehicle and towing vehicle by the standard tow coupler--be it a fixed or folding coupler. This invention improves the towing coupler by adding a shock absorbing device specifically designed to reduce the shock, the tugging, the pushing, and the surge loads that are transmitted between and imposed on the two vehicles. The tow coupler adds an important safety feature in that reduction of these transmitted loads substantially eliminates the possibility of metal fatigue in the tow coupler assembly. In fact there have been a number of occurrences where metal fatigue at the point of attachment to the towing vehicle has resulted in serious injury accidents.
The shock absorbing device would be very useful when used on the tongue of livestock or horse trailers. Animals are very sensitive to shock and movement while contained within the confines of trailers. The shock absorber device will lessen the back and forth bounce which is transmitted between two vehicles thus improving traveling conditions for prize animals.
A properly designed tow coupler used between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle must have the following features:
a) the tow coupler must be able to transmit the towing force from the towing vehicle to the towed vehicle in order to allow the towed vehicle to be pulled along; PA1 b) the tow coupler must be able to transmit any turning force so the towing vehicle can go ahead with its usual turning operations and be assured that the towed vehicle will properly follow; PA1 c) the tow coupler should eliminate the transmitted shock loads between the two vehicles caused by any encountered road conditions; and, PA1 d) if the tow coupler is of the folding variety, the coupler must safely accomplish the above features without collapsing. PA1 a) the device ensures that shock absorption occurs while the two vehicles are following a straight line path or rounding a corner; PA1 b) the invention provides for easily adjustable damping coefficients which allows the manufacturer to manufacture one such device to fit all sized loads thus saving the consumer money; PA1 c) the invention is much easier to manufacturer and thus will save the consumer money; and, PA1 d) the device is simple and easy to maintain. PA1 1) The standard single tow bar--similar to that found on a trailer, and PA1 2) the conventional triangular tow coupler that is used to trail a vehicle such as car.